


The Devil Went Down to Shu Han

by DespiteWhatShouldBeOtherwise



Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: Actual Attempt at Characterization for Zhuge Liang, Gen, Pre-Canon, Three Butchered games of Xiangqi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25797979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DespiteWhatShouldBeOtherwise/pseuds/DespiteWhatShouldBeOtherwise
Summary: In the tent of the Great Tactician Zhuge Liang in the Kingdom of Shu Han, friendly banter is exchanged over a cordial game of strategy. Oh, and someone almost loses his soul...
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	The Devil Went Down to Shu Han

**Author's Note:**

> Remember how I said Fate sucked me in during the Quarantine? Yeah... Good news is it gave birth to this one-shot idea of how one Waver Velvet/Lord El-Melloi II wound up being completely in control of himself as a Servant when he's supposed to be fused with Zhuge Liang. In other news, Xiangqi sounds like a really interesting game to play. In any case, hope you enjoy the story!

The Great Tactician felt the moment the candidate awoke in the camp.

He heard it as well, mostly due to the explicative he let out upon his awakening.

“Where the fuck-”

“Ah, I hear you’ve risen.” The Tactician interrupted him. There were many offenses he could tolerate. Vulgarity was not one of them. “You may enter. And please be quick about it.” There was a brief moment of silence followed by indistinct and irritable grumbling. The flap of the Tactician’s tent was pulled back and he got his first look at the candidate.

In a word, the candidate was disappointing. Skinny, no muscle at all and he was looking around the tent with a gobsmacked expression that did not speak well to his intelligence. No matter, that was merely a first impression. The Tactician covered his disdain with a welcoming smile and a warm cup of tea. “Welcome to my tent Mage. Please, have a seat.” The confusion was still evident on the candidate’s face even as he sank into the cushion opposite the small table.

“Where am I?” He demanded and the Tactician fought against the urge to roll his eyes. It should be obvious by looking, no? Instead, he simply poured himself and the man a cup of tea.

“The Great Kingdom of Shu Han in the tent of the Great Tactician, Zhuge Liang.”

“And I assume you’re The Great Tactician himself?” The Tactician smirked and passed the steaming tea across to the candidate.

“You would be correct.” He paused to take a sip from his own cup. “I’ve no reason to poison an honored guest.” The candidate simply gave his own cup a doubtful look and placed it on the table in front of him.

“And what reason do you have for bringing me here?” Another pause, another drink. And then the Tactician finally got around to the point.

“Do you play Xiangqi?” The candidate blinked once, twice, three times. If he had been confused before, the question sent him over the edge into outright dumbfoundedness.

“I-Pardon?”

“Xiangqi.” Liang gestured to the space between them. Perhaps the board had been there previously and the candidate had simply not noticed it. Perhaps it had not. Either way, the board filled the space between them in the current moment. He truly hoped the candidate was willing to give the game a try. It had been so long since the last candidate had passed through and he was beginning to grow bored of playing games against himself. The opposition had a nasty habit of guessing his strategies when that happened… “I believe it’s similar to your Western Chess.” The candidate regarded the board curiously.

“I can’t say I’ve ever played Xiangqi…” He murmured as his eyes roamed over the various pieces. “But if it’s similar to Chess, I suppose I could make an attempt.” Liang smiled again, feeling it morph into something like a smirk.

“Red traditionally moves first, but seeing as how you’ve never played before…”

“I’ve no objections. Go ahead.” So it seemed the candidate knew his proper place. Still smirking slightly, Zhuge Liang reached out. Black Elephant to E,3. The candidate peered at the board, considering what each piece could likely do and where they could move before mirroring Liang’s previous action. Red Elephant to E,9. Well that was one way to learn he supposed. Black Soldier to G,5. The two lapsed into a relaxed silence, broken only by the occasional interjection of “Soldiers can only move two spaces” or “Cannons need to jump over another piece to capture.” About halfway through their match, the candidate finally said something louder than a grumble.  
“You still haven’t told me where I am.”

“Yes I have.” Liang replied. Black Chariot to E,7. Capture Red Soldier. “This is the Kingdom of Shu Han in the tent of the Great Tactician Zhuge Liang.” The candidate nodded. Red Horse to B,6.

“The Kingdom of Shu Han…” He murmured, eyes still on the board before him. “One of the Three Kingdoms struggling for dominance during the Three Kingdoms Period alongside Sun Wu and Cao Wei.”

“So tales of my exploits have made it to foreign lands after all.” Liang chortled. Black Pawn to H,5. Capture the Red Soldier. The candidate moved his Chariot to H,5. It took Liang’s Soldier, leaving the path between their two Generals clear as both players had moved their Elephants earlier. Smirk widening, Liang picked up his General, guiding it in a straight line across the board towards the candidate’s side. “Checkmate. Your inexperience is obvious, boy.” The candidate glowered in response.

“Don’t call me boy!” He snapped. “And I made it very clear that I’ve never played before. I didn’t even know Kings could move like that…” Liang chuckled. It was almost endearing how the candidate was still playing using the rules and conventions of his Chess.

“That is the Flying General.” He replied. “When the path between two Generals is clear of any obstacles, then one can move their piece across the board to capture the enemy and end the game.” The candidate hummed and placed a finger to his chin in thought.

“The Flying General… At least the name makes sense…” Liang had to agree with the candidate on the matter. It was a rather appropriate name. He nodded with a brief wave of his hand. Had the pieces rearranged themselves? Had he done so? No one could say for certain.

“Perhaps another game will grant you more experience.” The candidate gave him a quizzical look, a single brow arched curiously.

“Perhaps, it will…” And with that, he reached out and moved one of his Soldiers to C,6. So it seemed he still had no idea how to play.

“Soldiers can only move forward one point.”

“Right…” The candidate reached out and moved his piece back to C,5. An easily countered maneuver. Black Soldier to C,6. Their second match passed much the same way the first had, almost total silence with Liang interjecting to remind the Candidate of certain rules from time to time. He’d grumble in response, but he seemed to learn rather swiftly. “You still haven’t answered me.” Liang took in the other man’s furrowed brow. He was still staring at the board. Black Rook to H,10.

“I’ve told you who I am and where you are. What more did you ask for?” Red Horse to C,3.

“You may be Zhuge Liang, but this isn’t truly the Kingdom of Shu Han, is it?” So he’d noticed in the end. Black Horse to C,8.

“You have a rather astute mind…” That was good. Perhaps not for his status as a candidate, but it was always good to see another with a keen intellect. Red Canon to B,5. “Tell me, two men are competing for a position of power.” The Candidate’s hand paused above the board as he gave the Great Tactician a look of confusion. Even so, he remained silent. Good. He still knew his place. Black Elephant to E,8. “The first man is wealthy, from a good, noble lineage. The second man is poor, impoverished, but naturally talented.” He paused, allowing the candidate to take it all in. Red Chariot to H,1. “Which man do you think should get the position?” Black Canon to H,6. The candidate didn’t answer straight away. He just glowered at the board, either contemplating his next move or contemplating an answer to the question Liang had outlined.  
“Well…” He murmured and reached out. “That depends.” Red Chariot to G,1.

“Elaborate.” Black Canon to G,8. Red Canon to H,5.

“Suppose we’re speaking of rewarding the two men based only on their talent or skill. The common assumption is that the more talented poor man with little pedigree is more worthy of this position.” “And yet you’ve neglected to mention anything regarding the wealthy man’s talent or his qualifications.” A fair point to be sure. Black Chariot to H,10. “Alternatively, if you would have me judge them by character, you’ve told me nothing of the subject.” No, he hadn’t said anything to that effect. Red Chariot to H,1. Liang moved his Chariot to E,6 and offered a counter question.

“And what would you judge them on? Their talent, or their character?” There was no hesitation this time. Red Canon to H,7.

“Both.” Another logical answer. Also pathetically optimistic and naive…

“I see.” Liang’s cordial smile returned and he leaned slightly away from the table. Black Elephant to E,8. “Then let us assume that the first man is merely the wealthy idiot son of a noble family, completely unqualified to lead, yet he believes in justice and makes an effort to remain humble and kind to those around them. Contrariwise, let us also assume that the second man is talented and charismatic, yet years spent in poverty have turned him ruthless and uncaring of the lives he may destroy. Which man would you choose then?” The candidate paused yet again, slightly longer this time. Perhaps the line of questions had finally succeeded in baffling the man.

“If that were the case…” Red Canon to A,7. Capture Black Soldier. “I would dismiss both to find a man with excellent qualifications and excellent character.” Dismiss them both? What an absurd solution. Hadn’t the candidate ever heard of the “lesser of two evils” policy? Even so… The candidate arrived at an answer that had occurred to no one else. That alone was far more interesting than any of the other potential vessels he’d seen thus far.

“If such a man exists.” Black Horse to H,2. And the candidate’s General was surrounded. “Your loss.” The candidate gave a good natured sigh and glowered once more at the Xiangqi board.

“It seems I haven’t quite gotten the hang of this…” He muttered before raising his eyes to meet Liang’s. “Now tell me; where am I and why have you brought me here?” Liang paused and considered the man in front of him. He may have been painfully average, a bit more than Liang would have cared for, but he’d proven to be rather keen and of a flexible mind. He may not be perfect, but he would do.

“Are you familiar with the Holy Grail and the Throne of Heroes?” The candidate tensed, his hands clenched into fists on the table. “I take it you are…” The other man hadn’t taken his eyes off Liang and was now regarding him with narrowed eyes.

“Then, you are a Heroic Spirit?”

“Precisely.” The Great Tactician paused to pour himself another cup of tea. “Your tea has grown cold. I told you, I would not poison an honored guest. Besides, my Class is Caster, not Assassin.” The candidate left his cup on the table.

“Very well. You’re a Spirit. What about this place?”

“This place is the Shu Han that will always exist to me.”

“A Reality Marble?” So he’d heard of Reality Marbles as well. In another time, perhaps Liang would have liked to converse with him further on the topic of how one’s inner world could overwrite reality itself and how such a thing could be accomplished. But that would need to be saved for another time.

“Not quite. It is more of a middle ground between reality and the Throne.” Hopefully that would suffice. “Do you understand now boy?” The candidate bristled and his fists clenched even tighter.

“I told you not to call me that…” His growl ended in a sigh as the candidate forced himself to relax. “And why have you brought me here?” Now Liang would need to tread carefully. The candidate wouldn’t be satisfied with a wave of his hand and an order not to think about it. Still, it would be best not to inform him of too many details.

“It’s rather embarrassing to admit, but I require a Vessel in order to manifest as a Servant in the Holy Grail Wars.” That would have to suffice. Meanwhile, the candidate considered what to do with the information.

“So you’re a Heroic Spirit that cannot become a Servant…” Liang’s brow twitched slightly. “And you think I would make a worthy Vessel…”

“I am sure you would.” He probably would. It seemed the candidate was not thoroughly convinced yet. Liang figured it was time to sweeten the deal. “It’s not as though this would be detrimental to you either. I am a Heroic Spirit that cannot become a Servant, and you are a mere mortal who desires to become a Heroic Spirit. It’s obvious to see that we can help each other, boy…”

“And I told you not to call me boy.” Across from Liang, the candidate crossed his arms and gave a huff. “Thank you for the offer. But I’m afraid I’m not interested in allowing any sort of spirit to use me for their own ends.” Well shit. That hadn’t gone according to plan at all… At this rate, the candidate would leave and he’d be right back to where he started.

“Then may I propose a wager?” Liang waved his hand once again. Perhaps the board reset itself. Perhaps it was some sort of conjuration by Liang. It was impossible to truly be certain after all. Either way, it caught the candidate’s attention. “If you are able to take my General, then I shall concede. You will remain yourself, you will be able to use my power freely however you choose to do so.” All in all, Liang was rather pleased that he’d gotten through his offer without once clenching his teeth.

“And I assume if you take my General, you’ll use me as a vessel whether I refuse or not.”

“Precisely.” The candidate eyed the board, considering the pieces, considering his options, considering the path his life must have taken to arrive at such a point. Surely the candidate must have known that the game was rigged (only in a metaphorical sense, Zhuge Liang had no need to cheat after all). Surely he would realize that there he, a novice Xiangqi player, stood no chance against Zhuge Liang himself in a game of tactics and strategy. Surely, the candidate would-

“Very well. I accept.” Disregard all the previous points and take on his little proposition anyway. Really now. Liang was not the type of man to look a gift horse in the mouth when it was right in front of him, but it seemed as though the candidate should have realized there was no possible way for him to emerge victorious in this wager.

No matter. That worked for Liang as well. And as the Great Tactician readied himself across the table, his affable smile nearly slipped into a satisfied smirk.

Red Canon to E,3.

The vessel was as good as his.

Black Horse to G,8.

Red Horse to G,3.

Black Chariot to H,10.

And so on it went. It seemed as though hours passed within the tent of Zhuge Liang. Neither man spoke, the only sound was the clicking of pieces on lacquered wood and the occasional shuffle of cloth as they reached across the board. And all the while Liang’s smile remained on his face. As far as he was concerned, he’d already won.

Red Canon to E,5.

Black Chariot to D,4.

Red Advisor to E,2.

Black Chariot to E,4. Capture Red Soldier.

Red Chariot to E,5.

The candidate reached across the board, a bead of sweat visible on his brow. Seemed as though he was beginning to realize the helplessness of his situation. Too late for him to back out now.

Black Chariot to G,1.

Red Soldier to G,7.

Black Horse to E,4.

Red General to F,3.

Black Chariot to G,3.

And that was it. The candidate’s General had nowhere to go and none of his pieces were anywhere near Liang’s Palace.

Checkmate.

“Seems as though our wager is coming to an end Boy.” Liang smiled and folded his arms. As expected, he’d been triumphant. In the meantime, the candidate was still looking at the board. He did not look distressed or fearful of anything. He simply looked curious, relaxed even. Then again, Liang had omitted the details of what becoming the Vessel of a Heroic Spirit would entail…

“Well that’s a damn shame.” The candidate murmured. Liang only shrugged and unfolded his arms.

“I suppose anyone would fear having their will overwritten.” He replied and began to reach across the table towards the candidate. No, he was only a mere vessel now. “Not to worry. I promise you’re in good hands.” The vessel finally raised his head and Liang was almost unnerved to find that there was still no fear in his gaze. Liang hesitated and in that moment, a small gust of wind disturbed the flap of his tent.

“No, it’s a shame that the title of “Great Tactician” went to someone who failed to realize that I took his General ten moves into the game.”

What?

"What?" No, that couldn’t be possible. It was obviously a desperate bluff by the candidate trying to get out of his debt. “You are bluffing.” Liang shot back as he recoiled slightly. “For one, every piece you’ve sent to my side of the river was captured immediately without taking any of my pieces. Also, why would you wait until now to claim your victory?” The vessel (or was he the candidate again?) shrugged, unbothered and nonchalant.

“To be honest, I just wanted to see how long it would take you to notice. I didn’t think it would take you the whole game…” No, it was a bluff. There was simply no way that he’d managed to win in ten moves. He’d only played Xiangqi two times in the past and even if the man was a fast learner, no one could possibly learn that fast. Zhuge Liang looked down at his side of the board, looked down at his palace with his two Attendant Pieces surrounding the empty point that his General should have occupied.  
“How…” Across the table, the vessel withdrew a cigar and a lighter from his pocket (where had he gotten those from?) and gave the Tactician a tired sigh.

“Are you familiar with the story of the Gordian Knot?” He asked as he stuck the cigar in his mouth and lit it. In reply, Liang remained silent. He couldn’t recall much about this “Gordian Knot,” nor did he see what that had to do with the current situation. The vessel took a long breath through the cigar and exhaled a plume of smoke. “Long ago, a certain king was confronted with a knot said to be so intricate it was impossible to untangle.” He paused to take another puff on the cigar. “His solution was to draw his sword and cut the knot in two.” He reached back into his pocket and withdrew a small wooden circle, no bigger than a coin and placed it in the middle of the board. Liang’s missing General. When had he captured it? Ten moves into the game? But the only pieces that had crossed the river were two soldiers, and they’d gotten nowhere near the Palace so how had-

And then Zhuge Liang recalled the way the vessel had stretched across the board…

“Then you cheated.” The vessel, or perhaps he could no longer be called that considering the situation, straightened where he sat, drawing himself up to whatever half his height was and gave Zhuge Liang a look of such venom, he nearly felt himself wither on the spot.

“You’re trying to possess me. Did you think I would willingly stake myself following the rules I don’t know of a game I’ve lost twice? I’ve seen men like you before. So absorbed in your own superiority that you can’t look at anyone else without turning your nose up. So convinced of your own genius that you didn’t even think to look down at your own palace. So certain that others uphold the same values and customs as you that you neglected to outline the exact conditions of a simple wager. I’ve dealt with men like you before. I wasn’t impressed.” The speech ended and another gust of wind disturbed the tent flap and Zhuge Liang swore he could almost detect the smell of salt in the air…

Something unexpected rose in Zhuge Liang then. He was expecting frustration for his failed attempt at gaining a compliant vessel, anger at his own failure to realize and catch the other man cheating, or a terrible rage at the vessel for trying to pass off a cheap trick as legitimate strategy. Instead, what bubbled out of Zhuge Liang was none of those things.

Instead he began to laugh.

A mere mortal had cheated in a game of Xiangqi against the Great Tactician of Shu Han himself and had gotten away with it. No, it hadn’t been a “mere” cheat. The vessel had watched and paid attention to Zhuge Liang, had known that he wouldn’t look at the board, that his arrogance and confidence could be used to lead to his downfall…  
Zhuge Liang could not think of a candidate who’d been more capable.

“Ah. I’d forgotten the importance of trickery when it comes to warfare!” His laughter began to ease and Liang wiped away a tear that had formed in the corner of his eye. The vessel had not budged from his spot, “Very well boy. As much as it pains me to admit, You’ve bested me. I concede.” Zhuge Liang reached beneath the table and withdrew his prized possessions. The Hexagonal Mirror, the fan made of Crane Feathers… It was still rather strange to him that so much of his identity, so much of who he was and what he’d accomplished and what had been passed on to others, should be contained in two simple objects. He stood, motioning for the vessel to do the same, and strode over to his side of the table, holding out the Mirror and the Fan towards the other. “I trust you’ll use them wisely.” The vessel took the Mirror, took the Fan, almost as though he was confused as to what to do with them now that he had them. Really. It would do for the man to develop more confidence in his abilities. He’d taken Zhuge Liang’s general in Ten Turns after all. “Now be off. There’s work to be done.” He gave the vessel a little shove towards the tent flap, almost pushing him out before he turned to protest.

“I have one more question. Why were you unable to become a Servant?” In response, Zhuge Liang slightly rolled his eyes (the vessel really ought to stop prying into things that did not concern him) and gave the vessel one final shove out of the tent.

“That’s for you to figure out, boy. I leave the rest in your capable hands.” The vessel stumbled out and Liang caught the tiniest glimpse of the sun glittering on the surface of the ocean before the tent flap dropped back into place. With a sigh, the Great Tactician returned to his place at the table and poured himself another cup of tea. It looked as though he was back to playing against himself for the foreseeable future. He waved his hand over the board once more. Perhaps the pieces had moved themselves back into place. Perhaps it had been his power that had compelled them. In the end, who could truly say?

**Author's Note:**

> I have a soft spot for characters who act like magnificent bastards, but they're also extremely smart/skilled so they've **earned** that magnificent bastard status thank you very much. Kind of hope that idea came through with Zhuge Liang. We don't see too much of him in the game as far as I can tell, so I really hope I gave him some good characterization... On another note, I was struggling for a while with what to title this fic, nothing seemed to stick. By happenstance, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" came on the radio one day and I thought "Huh. That could work..." In any case, I really hope you enjoyed the story, thanks for reading!


End file.
